cold clothes

The next day, the sky was clear and the breeze was gentle. Leng Yi hadn't slept well, but thankfully she had taken the Honey-Fragrant Jade Lotus Pills that Yin Jiu had given her; their cool and refreshing taste invigorated her.

Liu Xia's farewell banquet is scheduled for three days after the Dragon Boat Festival, when all the people of the city can attend. Fine wine, delicacies, and beautiful women will sing and dance to entertain the guests, making it a rare grand event for Fengxiang Tower. Liu Xia will also personally write letters to invite her patrons to attend, including Zhou Fengfu.

“Zhou Fengfu is the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He holds a high position and is old. In theory, he should be in a high position and have great power. However, he only rose through the ranks by currying favor with the Wang family in his early years. He is mediocre and is therefore just a puppet of the Wang family in the Ministry of Personnel,” Liu Xia said calmly, then suddenly smiled. “But he is very generous and gave me many treasures.”

So it's the top-ranked guy. Leng Yi understood: "Then he must be furious to hear that you entered the Lin residence."

"So we need Ningbi to step up and make him so infatuated with you that he'll spend money on you and won't have the mind to hinder my husband."

"My husband?" Leng Yi's eyes crinkled mischievously. "You call Liu Xia so affectionately, even though you said yesterday that you and Lin Jinshi had a mutually beneficial relationship that you both knew about."

"Well, I'm just used to it," Liu Xia said, her eyes sparkling. "This is a lesson you must learn, and I'll teach you today."

Leng Yi sensed something was wrong. Liu Xia had a vengeful nature, and she couldn't get any benefits from her clever talk. So, under Liu Xia's tyranny, Leng Yi learned many witty and embarrassing phrases.

Liu Xia forced her to speak, and Leng Yi blushed with embarrassment, her lips opening reluctantly. Under Liu Xia's insistence, she uttered one soft, melodious sound after another.

The cold air seemed to rush to her head, making her dizzy. Suddenly, she felt a wave of dizziness, and her body collapsed to the ground as if all her strength had been released. At the same time, an unbearable itching permeated her limbs and bones, making her feel utterly defeated.

Her drug addiction flared up, more intense than before, proving Aunt Fang right.

Just then, a refreshing current emanated from my lower abdomen, its subtle and indescribable sensation relieving much of the itching.

That Honey-Fragrant Jade Lotus Pill truly lives up to its reputation as a precious medicine kept in a jade box.

Liu Xia was initially shocked to see Leng Yi fall to the ground, but after calming down, she asked the maid to find Doctor Xie, while she helped Leng Yi to the bed to rest.

After Leng Yi lay down on the couch, her pretty face contorted in pain. Her lips were tightly clenched, her brows furrowed, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Seeing this, Liu Xia sensed that things were not simple and ordered someone to go to Jingya Pavilion.

Soon someone arrived, but it wasn't Doctor Xie, but Granny Li. Granny Li carried a bowl of dark, thick medicinal soup, which wasn't steaming, as if she had been preparing it for a long time.

Granny Li greeted Liu Xia, who looked at the medicinal soup and asked what it was. Granny Li replied, "This is a good medicine that Madam ordered to be prepared especially for Ningbi, the most beautiful courtesan."

"Then quickly give it to her."

"No rush. Once Ningbi regains some of her senses, Madam has a few words for me to give to Ningbi."

Liu Xia narrowed her eyes slightly, guessing what was going on: "Could it be the new mind-altering poison that Doctor Xie has developed? Making Ningbi the first to test the poison, Mom is really willing to do that, isn't she afraid of ruining Ningbi?"

"The lady has her own profound meaning."

Liu Xia smiled slightly. "Then let's wait and see." With that, she sat down at the tea table next to her and leisurely brewed tea.

In truth, Leng Yi had already regained her senses with the help of the Honey-Fragrant Jade Lotus Pill; she was merely pretending, secretly plotting how to escape her predicament. Doctor Xie had warned her against any more poison, but how could she possibly avoid this bowl of poisonous soup?

Outside the door, under the wisteria flowerpot, a skirt lingered for a long time before quietly leaving when the conversation inside stopped.

Wei Feng's heart pounded as she eavesdropped. She tiptoed down the stairs, her eyes burning.

Ningbi was actually poisoned by her mother? It seems her mother has truly given up on Ningbi, only using her as a pawn at Liuxia's farewell banquet. The thought of Ningbi's status plummeting makes her happy; how can an orphan girl picked up off the street compare to their status?

Wei Feng felt a surge of exhilaration, like she had finally gotten her revenge, and longed to confide in someone. Unfortunately, everyone at Langxuan Pavilion was busy with their missions, and no one was there to keep her company. Suddenly, an idea struck her: she wanted to see her best friend, Xia Hua.

She arrived at the Jade Steps Pavilion where Xia Hua lived. A gentle breeze stirred the fish swimming in the water, moved the light gauze curtains, and fluttered the embroidered handkerchief in the girl's hand.

Xia Hua was actually embroidering instead of practicing the zither. A gentle breeze quietly circled around behind her and saw that she was embroidering mandarin ducks playing in the water.

The breeze chuckled and said cheerfully, "Is the summer flower perhaps lovesick?"

Xia Hua was startled by the sudden sound of the breeze. After regaining her senses, she heard what the breeze had said, and her pretty face flushed red. She stood up hurriedly and said, "Breeze, what nonsense are you talking about!"

"Hehehe, look how anxious you are. What's so hard about admitting this? Didn't you make a scene a few days ago because Mother didn't send a nanny to teach you seductive arts?"

Wei Feng smiled charmingly, her words revealing a hint of smugness, which made Xia Hua's face turn extremely ugly.

Now, of the four, everyone except her has experienced the ways of the world, and Breeze has undergone a complete transformation, so it's no wonder she's mocking her. She argued with her mother, but her mother refused to budge and even used an excuse to transfer the male prostitutes of the other three to appease her.

This action means that her mother will definitely not let her get close to the Third Prince.

Unexpectedly, seeing Xia Hua's downcast expression, Wei Feng laughed again. While laughing, she pulled Xia Hua's arm and sat her down, saying in a coquettish voice, "Oh dear, why be so sad? Think about it carefully. Isn't the reason your mother doesn't let you learn seductive arts precisely so that you can remain a virgin and marry your fifth prince cousin, so that you can become empress in the future?"

"Don't talk nonsense. We haven't avenged our great grudge yet, how can we think about such things?" Xia Hua frowned and said sternly.

A gentle breeze paced beside Xia Hua and said, "Although the great revenge has not yet been taken, the odds of victory are not low. Since the Fifth Prince returned from the North, he has distinguished himself in the court. He has not only received many rewards, but the Emperor has also allowed him to assist in government affairs in the Zichen Palace in the morning and to help compile the history of the North in the afternoon. Fengxiang Tower has been lying low for many years, infiltrating most of the Wang family's power, just waiting to gradually erode it. Meanwhile, the Emperor has been suppressing the Wang family in recent years, and the Wang family's downfall is just around the corner."

“The political situation changes in an instant; how could it be as simple as you make it sound?” Xia Hua’s eyebrows remained tightly furrowed.

"This isn't my saying, it's what Granny taught me," Breeze said, spreading her hands. "The Fifth Prince is incredibly intelligent, almost demonic, and has managed to bring most of the northern forces under his control in just a few years. Speaking of which, I really want to meet the Fifth Prince. Rumor has it that he cured the cold poison, has eyebrows like dark green, eyes like stars, and a gentle, friendly, and approachable demeanor. Is that true, Xia Hua?"

"I met my cousin briefly after he returned from the north. He was always gentle and polite, and his complexion had indeed improved a lot."

A gentle breeze noticed Xia Hua's indifferent expression when talking about the Fifth Prince. Her eyes flickered, and she leaned closer, asking, "What? You don't like the Fifth Prince?"

Xia Hua shook her head. "It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I haven't avenged the massacre of my family, so I don't have the heart for romantic feelings for the time being."

"Sigh, I think you care more about the Third Prince than the Fifth Prince..."

Xia Hua secretly clenched her embroidered handkerchief, "Of course, I want to kill Zhao Qun every moment of the time."

“In that case, as your sister, I’ll help you,” Breeze took another step closer and whispered sweetly in Xia Hua’s ear.

"How can you help?" Xia Hua asked suspiciously.

A gentle breeze blew her laughter like the clear, melodious sound of silver bells, and her beautiful eyes gazed affectionately at Xia Hua, "If Mom doesn't let you do something, I'll do it for you..."

"! How can this be..."

"Is it not allowed? As proud as you are, do you intend to remain naive and lose to Ningbi forever?"

"..."

Xia Hua clenched her fist and then relaxed it, silently agreeing with Wei Feng's idea, her body gradually softening.

Spring is in full bloom in the garden. Magpies fly over the flowers and perch under the eaves. Their clear eyes keep turning. I wonder if they noticed the faint shadows under the overlapping and fluttering gauze curtains below. They occasionally let out a few bird calls to join in.

-

Leng Yi still drank the bowl of poisoned soup.

After finishing the drink, she broke down and covered her face, crying with tears streaming down her face, looking pitiful.

After giving instructions to Hu Mama, Granny Li left, simply to keep Leng Yi in line. From then on, she would bring Leng Yi medicinal soup every day to "detoxify" her.

After Granny Li left, Liu Xia hugged Leng Yi comfortingly and offered kind words of advice.

Leng Yi's breakdown was completely genuine; she felt trapped in an inescapable predicament. Doctor Xie had warned her against drinking any more poison, but she couldn't escape it. Was she really going to let Madam Hu completely control her with poison?

She relayed the news to Doctor Xie, but Doctor Xie was also helpless. Even though it was a poison she had concocted, she had no good way to cure it.

Confusion, anxiety, helplessness... a series of negative emotions left Leng Yi listless, and she even suffered from insomnia at night.